Line couplers



y 1966 D. L. HERBERT ETAL 3,249,239

LINE COUPLERS Filed April 22, 1964 s Sheets-Sheet 1 3 INVENTOR.

CLARENCE J. WAY a By DONALD L. HERBERT A T TORNE Y y 1966 D. L. HERBERT ETAL 3,249,239

LINE GOUPLERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 22, 1964 a l l I I I I I h' I r Q\ INVENTUR. CLARENCE J. WAY a By DONALD 1.. HERBERT ATTORNEY FIG. 4

y 1966 D. L. HERBERT ETAL 3,249,239

LINE COUPLERS Filed April 22, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. CLARENCE J. WAY 8 DONALD L. RBERT A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,249,239 LINE COUPLERS Donald L. Herbert, Lexington, and Clarence J. Way,

Mansfield, Ohio, assignors to The ("110 Brass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 361,770 14 Claims. (Cl. 2131.6)

This application relates to combined railway draft couplers and line couplers and, more specifically, to coupler systems and arrangements for interconnecting electric and air lines ofrailway cars.

The principal object of the invention is to provide improved coupling and interconnecting arrangements for railway cars.

The invention relates to arrangements of railway line couplers or train line connectors, so called, in which the coupler is mounted upon'and offset from the draft coupler which interconnects the adjacent cars of the train.

In line couplers, and particularly in offset line couplers, a considerable problem is encountered due to the very substantial coupling pressures which are required to overcome the spring pressures of the electrical coupler contacts. Likewise, air line connectors now in use are so constructed and arranged that the line pressure must be overcome in bringing the couplers into engaged relation. Because of the coupling forces involved, the forms of couplers are circumscribed or excessively heavy'parts must be used to insure proper coupling.

According to the invention, a separate line coupler is fixed to each draft coupler by a rigid mounting member. The line coupler embodies an electric coupler in which the contacts are moved into engagement with the contacts of the associated line coupler after the cars are brought into coupled relation and the draft couplers are engaged and locked. A line coupler embodies an air coupler in 'which the coupling pressure is independent of the air line pressure. A locator guide or pilot member on each of the line couplers insures the correct mutual disposition of the coupler faces for a wide range of tolerances in the draft coupler.

The invention, together with further objects, features, and advantages thereof, will be understood by reference to the following detailed specification and claims, taken in connection with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial view of two railway cars, showing the associated ends thereof, the draft-couplers and line couplers, and supports and mountings for the couplers, all in side view;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view, taken in the direction 2-2 in FIG. 1 and showing the faces of the draft and line couplers;

FIG. 3 is a section view of the line coupler, taken from the line 3-3 in FIG. 2, showing the electrical contacts and operating mechanism therefor;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of theline coupler, taken from the line 4-4 in FIG. 2, showing the air line connectors; and

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustrate the arrangement and functioning of the locator members of the line coupler. Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown two railway cars 20 and 21 which are connected by two mechanical or draft couplers 22 and 23 at the adjacent ends of the two cars. The couplers 22 and 23 are of the same design and construction, each having a part and a counterpart of the corresponding part of the associated coupler. Thus, the coupler 22 comprises a head 24 and an integrally formed drawbar 25 and is attached to the car 20 by an anchor indicated gene-rally at 26. Similarly, the coupler 23 comprises a. head 27 and an integrally formed drawbar 28, and is attached to the car 21 by an anchor indicated generally at 29.

3,249,239 Patented May 3, 1966 The two coupler heads 24 and 27 are constructed and arranged for locking engagement and have appropriate parts for guiding the couplers into axial alignment so that the couplers become interlocked when the-cars are brought together. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the head 24 carries a knuckle 30, with an outer face 31, pivotally opposed to a fixed hook 32. The hook 32 has an inside face 33 thereof formed as a generally arcuate surface directed in thelateral or transverse direction of the coupler toward the axis line of the coupler, for engagement by the outside face of the knuckle of the coupler 23. Thus, concurrent axial movement of the two cars causes the two couplers to converge toward positions of mutual axial alignment by reason of the engagement of the knuckle faces and hook faces, respectively, of the two couplers. Similarly, the planar relation of the faces rotates the couplers in a' plane perpendicular to the axis line of the couplers to bring the couplers into angular alignment.

' Two line couplers 34 and 35 are mounted on the under side of'the draft couplers 22 and 23 and function to interconnect the electric and air lines of the railway cars 20 and 21. The line couplers are arranged to connect the electric lines and air lines of the cars when the draft couplers are brought together, and to separate the respective electric lines and air lines when the cars are separated.

As is shown in FIG. 2, the line coupler 34 is carried from the under side of the draft coupler 22 by two brackets 36 and 37 which are fixed to posts 38 and 39 on the under side of the coupler 22 by means of cap screws 40 and 41. The brackets 36 and 37 are formed as integral extensions from the housing 42 of the coupler 34 so that the coupler 34 is rigidly positioned with respect to the head 24 of the coupler 22.

The coupler 34 comprises two electric connectors, indicated generally at 44 and 45 and each comprising a movable contact assembly and operating means therefor, and two air line connectors 46 and 47, each comprising a movable slide with a fixed carrier and sealing means. A locator guide or pilot member 48, mounted at the bottom extremity of the housing 42, cooperates with a similar guide or pilot member 49, mounted at the bottom extremity of the housing of the line coupler 35, to align the line couplers in the axial directions during approach movement of the couplers 22 and 23.

The arrangement of the electrical connectors 44 and 45 will be evident from FIG. 3, wherein the arrangement of the opening 53. The part 54 extends through an opening 56 in a movable insulating block 57 which is supported by a carrier member 58. The contact is positioned on the block 57 by a spring 59 and a land 60 atthe inside end of the part 54. Suitable connections are provided between the part 54 and the electric circuits of the car. a

The carrier 58 is supported by an operator such as a pneumatic cylinder 61 which positions the contacts 50 relative to the face block 51. Operation of the cylinder 61 and carrier 58 is such that the contacts 50 are drawn into the face block 51 while the line couplers 34 and 35 are moving into the coupled relation. After the couplers are locked together, the contacts 50 of the two electrical connectors of the line coupler 34 are advanced into mechanical engagement and electroconductive contact with the counterpart contacts of the associated cou- .wall 68 of the housing.

pler 35. The connector 45 is arranged to function simultaneously withlor separate from the contacts 44, as may be required by the train system.

The construction of the air line connectors 46 and 47 of the line couplers 34 and 35 will be evident from FIG. 4, wherein the two connectors 46 and 47 of the coupler 34 are shown in cross section. The air line connector 46 comprises a cylindric shell 64 received in aligned openings 65 and 66 in the forward and after walls 67 and 58 of the housing 32. The shell 64 is secured in the housing 32 by engagement of the flange 69 at the forward end of the shell 64 with the forward wall 67 and engagement of the nipple 70 with the after The nipple 70 is attached to the air hose of the car 21. A slide 71 comprises a cylindric body 72 received within the shell 64 and retained in the shell against the force of a spring 73 by a cap 74 1 which is threaded on the flange 69. A rubber bushing seal 75 mounted in the face of the slide 71 is adapted to engage a similar bushing seal in the counterpart connector, similar to the connector 47 in the line coupler 35. A valve element 76 is arranged coaxially within the body 72 of the slide 71 and is urged against a valve seat 77 by a spring 78 to admit compressed air from the associated connector of the coupler 35 when coupled thereto, while preventing escape of air from the air line of the car 21 when the two cars are uncoupled.

The connector 47 is similar to the connector 46, having ashell 80, a slide 81, cap 82, spring 83, and bushing seal 84. A nipple 85 is provided for attachment totthe air line system of the car 21, but there is no part corresponding to the valve element 76 of the connector 46. The connector 47 cooperates with a counterpart connector in the line coupler 45, similar to the connector 46.

Suitable means are provided for sealing the couplers along the adjoining faces and about the electrical connectors.

The functioning of the air line connectors 46 and 47 is such that when the couplers are brought together in coupling relation the only axial forces opposing coupling are forces exerted by the springs which actuate the slides, i.e., the springs 73 and 83 for the slides 78 and 81. The initial contact and sealing engagement between the faces of the bushing seals, the parts 75 and 84 and the corresponding parts of the associated couplers, completes the conduit circuit between the respective air lines, and the seals are maintained in engagement by pressure of air within the conduits after initial disposition of the slides is established by the springs. Accordingly, spring pressures of 100 pounds per coupler result in separating forces of 100 pounds, or thereabouts, whereas other known arrangements have separating forces of the order of magnitude of the air pressure in the conduit line, which may be 400 pounds or more. Reduction of anticoupling forces is of importance in offset line couplers, such as the line couplers 34 and 35, since the large moment arm of the opposing parts about the axes of the draft couplers tends to prevent aligning movement of the draft couplers, and may produce substantial misalignment, during approach thereof.

The line couplers 34 and 35 are so designed and constructed that they may be brought into coupled relation:

by relative axial movement of the cars and 21, even though the draft couplers 22 and 23 are misaligned or out of alignment in the axial direction. Because of the considerable relative freedom of the draft couplers, the

line couplers 34 and 35 may be canted or otherwise misaligned, and it is a part of the invention to provide means for relatively positioning those couplers while the draft couplers are being brought into adjoining relation.

7 T 0 this end, two locator guide members 86 and 87 are by a solid body configured to accommodate complementary parts of the associated guide member. Thus, the locator 86 has an outer guide ,88 and inner guide 89 with associated recesses 90 and 91, and the locator 87 has an outer guide 92, an inner guide 93, and associated recesses 94 and 95. The inner guides 89 and 93 are arranged to be received in the recesses 90 and 94, andthe outer guides 88 and 92 are arranged to be received in the recesses 91 and 95. The width and spacing of the recesses and the teeth is such that the locators may be received together, as shown in FIG. 6, only when the couplers, 34 and 35 are in axial alignment. The adjacent portions of the guides are rounded with an arcuate configuration to provide the greatest possible gathering range for the locators.

It will be understood that during coupling movement the line couplers 34 and 35 are brought into only approximate lateral alignment by reason of the engagement of the knuckle faces and hook faces of the mechanical couplers 24 and 27. Accordingly, the configuration of the complementary guide and recess parts of the guide members 86 and 87 determines a gathering range sufiicient to bring the electric and air line connectors into substantial alignment suificient for proper coupling of the connectors. In the particular mechanical coupler shown herein, the variation in the dimensions of the parts is such that the guide members 86 and 87 determine the locking position of the couplers. Accordingly, the operation and functioning of the, entire assembly is improved by the functioning of the guide members 48 and 49.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is not intended to restrict the scope of the invention and that various rearrangements of the parts and modifications of the design may be resorted to. The following claims are directedto combinations of elements which embody the invention or inventions of this application.

We claim:

1. In combination, two mechanical couplers in axially aligned and mechanically coupled relation, two line couplers each fixed to one of the said mechanicalcouplers and carried in rigid offset relation to the associated mechanical coupler, the said line coupler havingthe face thereof disposed generally inthe plane of the face of the mechanical coupler and the two line couplers being in coupled relation, and two guide members on the line couplers in spaced relation withrespect tothe mechanical couplers and having axially aligned transversely interengaged parts and transversely converging parts thereof for guiding the couplers into coupling relation and thereafter holding the line couplers against substantial transverse relative movementupon relative movement of the mechanical couplers.

2. Couplers apparatus in accordance with claiml, in which the mechanical couplers incorporate means for mutual alignment in the axial and rotational directions thereof during coupling movement.

SJCoupler apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the line couplers incorporate axially aligned air connectors, said air connectors each comprising a cylindric carrier fixed to the line coupler, a slide in the carrier having sealing means at an exposed end thereof adapted to engage a similar slide of an associated coupler, and spring means fixed against the coupler urging the slides into coupled relation, the separating force between the couplers being determined solely by the said spring means.

4. Coupler apparatus in accordance ,with claim 1, in which the line couplers incorporate axially aligned electrical contacts, carrier means for'the said contacts, and means for axial movement of the said contacts to bring the contacts of the two couplers into engagement after the mechanical couplers are brought into coupled relation.

5. A line coupler comprising a housing having one extremity thereof arranged as a coupler face for cooperation with a similar face of a complementary coupler, connector means carried by the said housing with interconnecting parts thereof supported at the face of the coupler for cooperation with the similar parts of the complementary coupler, means at the top of the housing for mounting the coupler below an associated mechanical coupler in fixed relation thereto, and guide means mounted at the bottom of the housing for mutual alignment of each coupler with an associated complementary coupler during coupling movement thereof and thereafter holding the couplers against substantial transverse relative movement.

6. A line coupler in accordance with claim 5, in which the connector means includes an electrical connector comprising electrical contacts, means carrying the contacts for movement in the axial direction of the coupler, and means operatively connected to the last named means for moving the contacts out of the position of engagement with the contacts of the complementary connector for reducing coupling forces during coupling movement thereof.

7. A line coupler in accordance with claim 5, in which the connector means includes an air connector comprising a cylindric shell, a slide in the shell with sealing means between the carrier and a cooperating slide on the complementary coupler, and spring means for positioning the slide, the spring means of the said slide and the associated slide of the said similar connector being contacted by air on the interior of the said connectors, and the said spring means comprising the sole separating force between the coupler and the associated complementary coupler when in coupled relation.

8. A line coupler in accordance with claim 5, in which the guide means comprises a body configured with elongate parts extending in the direction of coupling with the complementary coupler and spaced in the transverse direction of the coupler to accommodatecomplementary parts of the associated guide means.

9. A line coupler for use with an associated similar coupler comprising a housing having one extremity thereof arranged as a coupler face for cooperation with a simi lar face of the complementary coupler, an electrical connector carried by the housing comprising a plurality of contacts, a movable carrier member therefor and a fixed carrier member of insulating material at the face of the coupler, and means operatively connected to the movable carrier member for moving the contacts into and out of the fixed carrier member for engagement with the contacts of the associated coupler, an air connector carried by the housing with a cylindric shell, a slide in the shell with sealing means for the slide and a cooperating slide of the associated coupler, means on the housing for carrying the coupler in fixed relation to a mechanical coupler associated therewith and guide means comprising parts spaced apart in the transverse direction of the coupler for engagement by complementary parts of the associated coupler to align the said connectors during coupling movement of the coupler and the associated coupler and thereafter holding the coupler and complementary coupler against substantial transverse relative movement.

10. In combination, two mechanical couplers, two line couplers, one line coupler carried below one of the mechanical couplers and the remaining line coupler carried below the remaining mechanical coupler in relatively 'fixed offset relation thereto, the said line couplers having the faces thereof disposed generally parallel to the faces of the mechanical couplers for coupling movement therewith, the line couplers each having air connectors comprising slides engageable each with the other in the plane of the mechanical couplers, and spring means for the slides determining the separating force between the cou plers, and axially aligned electrical contacts on each of the couplers with carrier means therefor for moving the contacts of the two couplers into engagement after the mechanical couplers are brought into coupled relation, and guide means carried below the line couplers in spaced relation from the mechanical couplers, the said guide means comprising axially movable, transversely interengaged parts, with laterally converging parts thereof for guiding the couplers into coupling relation and thereafter holding the couplers against substantial transverse relative movement.

11. In combination, two mechanical couplers in axially aligned and mechanically coupled relation, each mechanical coupler comprising a housing, a coupler head, and interengaging means for transmitting draft and buff forces, the interengaging means of the said two couplers permitting relative movement of the two couplers in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the couplers and relative rotational movement of the couplers about that axis, two line couplers, each comprising a housing and interengaging electric connectors and interengaging conduit connectors in the face of the housing, means carrying the housing of one of the line couplers on the under side of one of the mechanical couplers in fixed relation thereto and means carrying the remaining line coupler on the under side of the remaining mechanical coupler in fixed relation thereto, the line couplers having the faces thereof disposed generally in the plane of the faces of the associated mechanical couplers for coupling thereof with the mechanical couplers, and two guide members on the under sides of the' line couplers having axially aligned transversely interengaged parts, the guide members having laterally converging parts for guiding the couplers together during movement of the mechanical couplers relatively together and for maintaining the mutual disposition of the line couplers during relative movement of the mechanical couplers while in coupled relation.

12. Draft apparatus for rail cars in accordance with claim 11, in which each line coupler housing is detachably attached to the associated mechanical coupler housing by separable parts integral with the line coupler housing and mechanical housing respectively.

13. In a railway train, in combination, two rail cars, a first mechanical coupler at the rear end of the lead car and a second counterpart mechanical coupler at the front end of the following car separable from the first coupler, each mechanical coupler comprising a housing and loosely interengaging means for transmitting buff and draft forces, means fixed to the frame of each car supporting the couplers in aligned relation, two line couplers, one fixed to the housing of one of the mechanical couplers and the other fixed to the housing of the other mechanical coupler, each line coupler being carried in rigid offset relation to the associated mechanical coupler, the said line couplers having the faces thereof disposed generally in the plane of the faces of the mechanical couplers for coupling movement therewith, and two mutually interengaged guide members fixed to the line couplers having axially aligned transversely interengaged parts, the guide members being arranged in spaced relation with respect'to the mechanical couplers and having laterally converging parts for guiding the couplers together during coupling movement of the cars and thereafter maintaining the mutual disposition of the couplers during tractive movement of the cars.

14. Apparatus inaccordance with claim 13, the line couplers having transversely contacting axially engaged line connectors with low contact pressure.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 827,988 8/1906 Niederlander 213-1.3 1,402,120 1/1922 Tomlinson 2131.6 1,412,384 4/1922 Brown 213-1.6 1,422,905 7/1922 Tomlinson 2l31.3 1,540,936 6/1925 Garankin 2l3- 1.3

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

MILTON BUCHLER, Examiner.

B. FAUST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, TWO MECHANICAL COUPLERS IN AXIALLY ALIGNED AND MECHANICALLY COUPLED RELATION, TWO LINE COUPLERS EACH FIXED TO ONE OF THE SAID MECHANICAL COUPLERS AND CARRIED IN RIGID OFFSET RELATION TO THE ASSOCIATED MECHANICAL COUPLER, THE SAID LINE COUPLER HAVING THE FACE THEREOF DISPOSED GENERALLY IN THE PLANE OF THE FACE OF THE MECHANICAL COUPLER AND THE TWO LINE COUPLERS BEING IN COUPLED RELATION, AND TWO GUIDE MEMBERS ON THE LINE COUPLERS IN SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE MECHANICAL COUPLERS AND HAVING AXIALLY ALIGNED TRANSVERSELY INTERENGAGED PARTS AND TRANSVERSELY CONVERGING PARTS THEREOF 